SecDef Austin Commits US To ‘Responsible AI’
"AI is going to change many things about military operations, but nothing is going to change America’s commitment to the laws of war and the principles of our democracy," the Defense Secretary said.
By Colin Clark on July 13, 2021 at 4:44 PM
WASHINGTON: In a clear sign of the fundamental importance of ethics and human control to the coming age of artificial intelligence in the US military, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared his department will “do it the right way,” even as competitors like China use AI to better monitor and suppress their citizens.
“In the AI realm, as in many others, we understand that China is our pacing challenge. We’re going to compete to win, but we’re going to do it the right way,” Austin told a day-long conference of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NACAI). “So our use of AI must reinforce our democratic values, protect our rights, ensure our safety, and defend our privacy. Of course, we understand the pressures and the tensions. And we know that evaluations of the legal and ethical implications of novel tech can take time.”
One of the most difficult challenges experts have identified with AI-directed weapons is the temptation of accepting their immense speed of response as an advantage regardless of the consequences. “AI is going to change many things about military operations, but nothing is going to change America’s commitment to the laws of war and the principles of our democracy,” Austin said.
https://breakingdefense.com/2021/07/secdef-austin-commits-us-to-responsible-ai/?_ga=2.177866082.670979782.1626242006-1998925558.1593697052
